Trump reaches maiden UK final

Judd Trump's fine breakthrough year continued last night with a an excellent 9-7 win against his fierce Aussie rival Neil Robertson.

Picture by Monique Limbos

In a year that has seen him win his first major ranking event, win Fans Player of the Year and finish runner-up in the World Championship, he can now add a maiden UK Championship to his growing list of achievements, as his reputation continues to soar.

Judd is fast becoming the player all the top players want to avoid at the big tournaments.

His fearless approach make him dangerous every time he comes to the table. His potting is sensational and his confidence sky high.

He's definitely got the beating of Robertson now. Despite losing to him earlier in the season in the Alex Higgins International Trophy, he's now knocked him out of the last two BBC tournaments.

It's difficult for Robertson to blame anyone but himself for this defeats because he had chances to reverse this defeat.

In fact, he had chances in pretty much every frame.

Judd is a great showman, a fans' favourite and an incredible attacking force. But with that comes pushing the boat out a little too much from time to time. When he pulls it off, he deserves all the superlatives in the world but the only slight drawback is that it does mean his opponents will get chances.

That's why despite being a heavy favourite to lift the title in York now, it's not over yet.

As well as another day in the sun for Judd, yesterday's match was also a classic example of why snooker fans love multi-session matches. Instead of the excellent sprint ties we've seen all week, this was entertainment value for a completely different reason. There was a story to the match. A beginning, a middle and an end.

The match lived up to its billing as a jaw-dropping potting and scoring fest but also ended with a good old-fashioned nervy conclusion. Judd will be a better player for coming through that kind of test. It proves he can win scrappy as well with his usual flair.

There will be more great battles to come between these fine two players, the best potters in the game. But for now, and again, it was Trump who came out on top and has a shot at silverware on Sunday.

Then there were four

Quarter-finals day at the Barbican served up more compelling snooker - with the the four players who made it through to the semi-finals all staking a claim for why they can win this year's UK Championship.

Leading the way was Judd Trump. He chose the perfect time to make his first century of the tournament, three in fact.

This helped him along to a comfortable 6-3 win against Stephen Maguire but this result should bare little reflection on the Scot.

Picture by Monique Limbos

Judd was just too good. He out-potted Maguire from start to finish and would have done the same to anyone else.

The way Trump keeps improving with each game is an ominous sign for his fellow title contenders. He's climbing up the gears smoothly and showing a little more each round.

Today was as impressive as it comes though, for me. He put on a masterclass of attacking snooker and continues to re-write the rules of what the correct shot is. He plays with a style of his own. As Maguire found out today, he's so hot to handle, because if a match isn't going his way, he'll create something out of nothing. He's a real aggressor at the table and perhaps that intimidates his opponents.

His long-potting is of such a high standard that maybe players are scared to even leave a sniff of a chance.

Ironically, he faces another of the games best single-ball potters in the semi-final, with Neil Robertson waiting in the wings.

The Aussie is another fearless competitor, as he showed with a ruthless 6-2 win against Ding Junhui today.

Just like Judd, Robertson is showing signs of playing himself into this tournament although his form has been pretty solid throughout with just six frames lost in his opening three matches.

Picture by Monique Limbos

It will be a different ball game in the last four though.

I'm sure Robertson hasn't forgotten how Judd brutally ended his title defence of the World Championship earlier this year.

It was one of the stand-out performances of the calendar year and must be prying at the back of Neil's mind somewhere.

I'm not suggesting Robertson will be doubting his ability to win the match but, he can't pretend the scars of that defeat have completely healed.

This match is worthy of any final but will be just as thrilling as a semi-final.

Ricky Walden also secured an unlikely place in the semi-finals - his first in a BBC tournament - with a 6-3 win against Shaun Murphy.

It's the second world champion Walden has beat this week as he continues his cool run.

Picture by Monique Limbos

Despite no longer being a top 16 player, he's shown glimpses of brilliance and evidence that he has enough about him to regain his place. Although his style is distinctly different from the rest of players in the semi-finals here, no-one should be writing him off.

Time and time again he's shown what an efficient scorer he is and how a soft touch around the table can bring rewards.

While the players around him have been busy producing fireworks, Ricky hasn't tried anything flash. He's been taking his chances, choosing the right shots, capitalising on his opponents mistakes and quietly making progress by remaining calm under pressure.

You can see his confidence slowly oozing back and he remains a danger because he's the player left in the tournament with the least pressure on him. Although ambitious Walden stills harbours hopes of adding to his solitary ranking title, three wins here means he's probably ticked the box of what he wanted to achieve pre-tournament anyway. That makes him a dangerous prospect.

With wins against Murphy and Mark Williams already under his belt, he faces another stern test next against Mark Allen, who has had an action-packed week himself.

Picture by Monique Limbos

Off the table, he's had plenty to say about Barry Hearn and has been splashed across the newspapers as a result.

It looks like in the face of adversity and criticism he's adopted bunker mentality and has come of age on the table. He's showed great flair and tenacity, providing real entertainment value along the way.

He's been somewhat of the box office attraction this week for both these reasons but his win tonight was arguably his sweetest of the tournament so far.

He showed cracking bottle to beat Marco Fu 6-5, and having to do it from 5-4 down made it all the more special..

Whether he feels he's got something to prove or is the kind of player who flourishes in the limelight, it doesn't matter. He's playing superb stuff and stands a great chance of lifting his first ranking title on Sunday night.

There's no rest for the wicked with the semi-finals underway tomorrow and a switch to the one-table set up in York.

That's always a sure sign we're into the serious side of the tournament.

The atmosphere has been spot on this week with no partition giving the kind of open feel you get in most snooker clubs.

Now with just one table taking centre stage it means the pressure is cranking up and everyone's eyes are on the players in action.

Bring on the semi-finals!

Fu fighter

Who would have thought it?

Out-of-form Marco Fu turns up at the UK Championship and stuns the world number one and tournament favourite.

Picture by Monique Limbos

Well, that's exactly what happened this evening as he beat Mark Selby 6-3.

Don't get me wrong, this was far from vintage. It was a scrappy match but, that won't matter even an inch to Fu who from nowhere is now back at the right end of a ranking tournament.

Marco will be the first to admit his form over the last 12 months has been turbulent. He rediscovered some quality to see off Stuart Bingham in round one but relied on his ability to scrap and take advantage of a poor Selby to win tonight.

The Jester from Leicester, who prides himself on his consistency, will be disappointed with his display for it was way short of what he produced in an opening round whitewash against Ryan Day.

Although his defeat will scupper many fans' bets, it does mean the race for this title is blown completely wide open.

Selby, who is a little like Mr Reliable, was looking like a safe bet to lift the trophy as others around him were flicking in and out of form.

Now, it's a case of take your pick.

Despite his troubles, we shouldn't forget Marco made the UK Championship final just three years ago and is still a classy player.Well played!

Allen talks on the table

Controversial Mark Allen also made it through to the quarter-finals.

His comments calling for Barry Hearn to quit earlier this week have made the national sport headlines but tonight he did his talking on the table.

Picture by Monique Limbos

His performance in his 6-2 win against Ali Carter proved why I believe he's the best player on tour never to have won a ranking event.

He potted some exquisite long balls, refused pots when he had to, scored heavily, hit on the counter-attack and showed he can play safety too. It was a complete performance. He was in lethal form, playing like someone desperate to prove a point. That's not always a bad thing.

His attacking prowess was on show for all to see as Carter just couldn't live with him.

While we've started the week talking about Allen off the table, it would be ironic if we ended it discussing his qualities on it. Maybe adversity will bring the best out of him as he bids for silverware.

Walden wanders through

Ricky Walden assumed the role of this season's UK Championship surprise package.

An impressive performance scored him a 6-3 win against world number two Mark Williams as he wandered through to an unexpected place in the last eight.

Picture by Monique Limbos

The UK Championship has a habit of seeing non-top 16 players advance to the quarter finals. Last season it was Mark Joyce and the year before saw Peter Lines do the same.

The fact that Ricky was a member of the top 16 just earlier this year makes his run less of a surprise than the former two.

But still, it marks a welcomed return to form for a player who failed to kick on after breaking into the elite and has found it difficult to get going since dropping out.

Walden has arrived in York with a burst of confidence and a steely determination to get results.

Just last month he made his first professional maximum break at a PTC and appears to be spurred on by that achievement.

Following on from victory against Stephen Lee in round one, he raced into 3-0 lead against Williams before losing the next three to go back on level terms.

Walden managed to keep faith in his game, refused to change his tactics and took another three on the spin to clinch the match.

Beating a player of Williams' calibre at any major tournament is worthy of praise but I can't help feeling a lack of commitment at this season's PTC tournaments has cost the Welshman the sharpness he needed coming into this event.

His defeat does mean that both of last year's finalists have now been sent packing, after John Higgins lost to Stephen Maguire yesterday.

Walden shouldn't feel an ounce of sympathy because he deserves his win after finally dusting himself down from the disappointment of only a short stay in the top 16 and showing glimpses of his best again.

He'll remain an underdog now he's into the second half of the tournament but the former Shanghai Masters winner Walden has thrown tea rankings guide out the window before, of course.

What is a novelty for Walden is enjoying a decent run at one of the BBC tournaments. A lot of snooker fans know what a great player he is but this week he's showing plenty more.

Maguire marches on and Judd Trumps Ronnie

Stephen Maguire completed a Scottish double today in York with victory over defending UK champion John Higgins.

Following on from his win in the first round against Stephen Hendry, on-song Maguire put pay to Higgins' hopes of a second successive title with a thoroughly deserved 6-4 win.

Picture by Monique Limbos

Although Maguire was by far the stronger player on the night, it wasn't all plain sailing. He raced into an emphatic 5-1 lead including a tournament high break of 144 but had to weather a trademark Higgins fightback before clinching the vital frame.

A lot of people are quick to level criticism at Maguire as he's renowned for losing his rag. But here, he was cool, calm and collective waiting patiently for his chance to kill off the world number three.

Higgins on the other hand was clearly unsettled by the shortened format of this year's UK Championship. He openly criticised the changes to the tournament last week and played like a man with something else on his mind. He was lucky to even beat Rory McLeod in round one and was perhaps destined to lose when he met a stiffer test.

Stephen was that tougher match. His recent performances at the PTC tournaments have been excellent. He's rediscovered his long potting and is playing with the kind of authority that makes him easy on the eye.

That said, his chances of winning silverware at the Barbican have perhaps gone under the radar, until now. People are beginning to talk up his chances again but Maguire appears to be staying grounded. With the standard of play so exceptionally high, that's the only way to approach it.

It was a good night at work for Maguire and now he can look forward to a clash with Judd Trump in the quarter-finals, who emerged through the game of the day.

Trump beat Ronnie O'Sullivan 6-5 in a nail-biter -  but can still get even beater.

Picture by Monique Limbos

The 21-year-old significantly upped his game from his first round match with Dominic Dale but, he simply had. The Rocket showed decent resolve once more but was caught out by Trump's outstanding potting game. Ronnie's safety game wasn't as tight as usual and Trump capitalised.

The scary thing here is we know Judd can get better. He appears to be playing himself perfectly into form in this tournament, a sure sign of of his ever developing maturity.

Today was Trump's fourth professional win over his Grove partner, with his last coming just a few weeks ago in the PTC9 final in Belgium.

He looks to have the beating of the three-time world champion but immediately after defeat began the usual  inquest into why Ronnie lost. We shouldn't bemoan his performance though.

He's been in good enough form in recent weeks to suggest he could have made a bid for the title this week, and could easily have snatched this match.

But we must not forget it's been ever such a long time since O'Sullivan made a real impact at a major ranking event.

Although he'd never admit it, that must be playing on his mind. Ronnie spoke after the match about the possibility of needing a break. But today was about another huge stride forward for young Judd rather than the chance to further dissect Ronnie's relationship with the game.

The other two matches of the day saw Ding Junhui win his second decider of the week, this time against Matthew Stevens and Neil Robertson win 6-3 against Graeme Dott in a repeat of the 2010 World Championship final.

Ding has showed excellent fight so far this week further dispelling the myth about his lack of temperament. This added grit coupled with his superb ability to break build make him a dangerous prospect.

Robertson meanwhile, scored a scrappy victory and will need to find greater fluency lift the trophy. His long potting was on the money but he was positionally off the pace.

Close but no surprise

As the first round of this year's UK Championship came to a conclusion today we were almighty close to two massive surprises at the Barbican.

Joe Jogia - making his debut at the UK Championship - pushed world number two Mark Williams all the way taking a share of the first eight frames before losing 6-4.

Picture by Monique Limbos

It was far from glamorous but as a heavy second favourite Jogia scrapped, fought and grafted in a bid to take advantage of an off-colour Williams.

Mark is right up there in rankings largely to his consistency over the last year but that said, it doesn't mean we haven't seen him choke. He's lost three ranking finals within a year from winning positions and as Jogia drew level from 4-2 adrift, I wondered whether it might happen.

In the end, the Welshmen bundled over the finish line and showed experience in front of the TV cameras counts for plenty.

Dominic Dale also came close to springing a surprise, against Judd Trump. After holding a 4-2 lead over the World Championship runner-up, a huge slice of fortune in frame seven proved the turning point as the young gun turn the tie on its head to run out a 6-4 winner.

Although this win wouldn't have been a surprise on the same scale as Jogia's given Dominic's run to the most recent PTC final, Judd's ability to turn it on for the big occasion still made him a huge favourite before the match.

We've seen plenty of evidence for how lethal Trump can be when front running. Maybe today proved he's got another side of his game too, being able to tough it out when not playing his best. However good the boy is, that's a quality he'll need in abundance moving forward.

These two matches were a warning for what can happen in these shorter format matches. While it's important for the top players not to peak too early in the big tournaments, both Williams and Trump will need to improve quickly after shaky starts.

Picture by Monique Limbos

There was drama in York off the table today as well. Mark Allen hit out at Barry Hearn after his 6-3 win versus Adrian Gunnell.

Criticising the sport's supremo for lining his pockets from the game and not having the player's best interests at heart, it put a rather disappointing tint on an otherwise good win for him.

Allen has struggled with depression for the past six months but looked like he was back playing with a smile on his face and enjoying his snooker again.

I'm all for players speaking their minds but on a week of a big event like this I'd rather the snooker did the talking.

The only other game today saw Ricky Walden beat seeded Stephen Lee 6-3. This match was always going to be a tight one but resurgent Ricky did his hopes of a return to the top 16 no harm at all here.

Tomorrow sees the start of the second round matches.

Here's how they line-up:

Neil Robertson v Graeme Dott
Stephen Maguire v John Higgins
Ronnie O'Sullivan v Judd Trump
Matthew Stevens v Ding Junhui
Mark Williams v Ricky Walden
Martin Gould v Shaun Murphy
Ali Carter v Mark Allen
Mark Selby v Marco Fu

The story so far...

It's great to be back in York.

We're just two days into this year's Williamhill.com UK Championship but what a pleasure to be here.

The Barbican is a superb venue for snooker and with ticket sales through the roof, the atmosphere has been fantastic.

A strong crowd always adds to the occasion in big matches at big tournaments - and that's been proved the case again.

Picture by Monique Limbos

In such a massive tournament, the pressure is on the players to perform. They haven't disappointed.

World number one Mark Selby has put in the most impressive performance so far. A 6-0 demolition of Ryan Day sent out a stiff warning to his title rivals, showing he means business and proving exactly why he's leading the ranking list.

Keen to add to his win at the Shanghai Masters earlier this season, he made light work of game that looked tricky on paper and further dispelled any myth that he's a negative player.

Ronnie O'Sullivan looks equally determined to chase silverware this week. After losing the first frame to Steve Davis he eventually ran out a comfortable 6-1 winner. Like a sign of all great champions, he steadily rose through the gears as this match progressed but, the most impressive part of his display was how he kept his game in check despite early scrappy spells. His patience bodes well for a bid for the title.

These two top 16 players weren't alone in opening with a sparkle. Neil Robertson and Graeme Dott ran out 6-1 winners against Tom Ford and Matt Selt respectively, while Martin Gould was far too strong against Peter Lines, and won 6-2.

The closest matches were actually yesterday. John Higgins and Ding Junhui both needed slices of fortune in deciders with Rory McLeod and Mark Davis respectively.

Higgins' ability to come through a stern battle is hardly surprising and only confirms why he'll be at the business end of this tournament. But for Ding, it was a marked improvement for a player who has often been questioned for having a soft centre.

No-one will be more pleased with their  first round win though than Ali Carter. He's desperately struggling for form and confidence but managed to emerge a 6-4 winner over Robert Milkins. That will do the Essex potter wonders.

Stephen Maguire is another player lacking in the confidence department right now. He did all the basics right to beat Stephen Hendry by 6-3 in the battle of Scotland. Yet again, it was difficult watching the seven-time world champion labour at a big venue, missing balls he just wouldn't have in years gone by.

It's not all been about the winners. A big congratulations should go to TV debutant Li Yan. The Chinese cueman came through a gruelling four matches just to make it here and  can be proud of his performance. He eventually lost 6-3 to Shaun Murphy but showed enough glimpses of quality to suggest a bright future in the game.

Picture by Monique Limbos

It's never in front of cameras but all in all, he looked comfortable.

Talking of tough, it really was hard watching Marcus Campbell. He lost 6-2 to Matthew Stevens as another top 16 player ran out winner but, even seeing him out competing was worth commendation.

Campbell went out into the arena to play despite hearing news that his friend who follows him at all the major tournament had died suddenly in his York hotel. It was a brave effort to fight on, which earned him plenty of plaudits. A massive well done to him. But Stevens showed signs of another top player desperate for a good week.

In fact, the only top 16 not to progress so far is Stuart Bingham. Despite leading 3-1, he lost 6-4 to Marco Fu. This result will go down as a shock considering Marco's poor recent form but glimpses of brilliance in this hard fought win suggests he may be over the worst of his struggles.

The standard of snooker has been superb so far. So much so, it's difficult to complain.

A lot of debate has been had surrounding the new shortened format. Personally, I think the best-of-11-frame matches have been pitched about right so far. I wasn't in support of the changes in the first place but it's pointless moaning about them now. We may be losing an extra session of play but, the matches still seem a fair distance with more frames being played in the single session than normal. The appeal of seeing a player being tested doesn't feel like it's lost.

Either way, with the quality of play we're being treated to, how can we argue?

UK Championship: BIG tournament preview

This year's Williamhill.com UK Championship may take on a shorter format than in years gone by but it still remains the second biggest ranking event on the snooker calendar.

With only the World Championship at the Crucible ahead of it for prestige, points and prize money, all the top players will be ready and raring to go to win one of the top trophies in the sport.

One of the biggest fears when Barry Hearn took charge of the sport is that he'd meddle with the format so-called major tournaments.

This worry became a reality this season with the early matches in this tournament being played as best-of-11-frames matches over one session instead of best-of-17-frame matches over two.

This decision has divided opinion. The big positives are that every player will enjoy time in front of the television cameras, instead of being farmed out to the off-screen tables, paying spectators will get a result after every session of play and ultimately, it pleases the television broadcaster.

The fans at home will get the chance to watch all their favourite players and not miss any matches either

However, this means sacrificing multi-session matches in the early part of the tournament. Like a lot of traditionalists, I enjoy matches being played over more than one session. I think it gives the players a bigger test to pass if they want to win the biggest events. This works perfectly well for the World Championship but was obviously not deemed such a success here.

Whatever your opinion, this tournament will be as fiercely competed as ever. The UK Championship may this year lack a certain entertainment value for its inability to give matches a longer slow-burning appeal but because it remains high on the agenda for players to win, it will still be fulfil in others.

Players will have to start the match quickly and seize the early initiative, which brings a drama of its own. Ultimately though, the new format will still benefit the top players because they have more experience playing in front of the TV cameras.

Another big change to the UK Championship this season is a return to the Barbican in York. It's always been a great venue and will surely bring in bigger crowds than in previous seasons in Telford. 

On the table, there are plenty of sub-plots in this year's UK Championship.

Ronnie O'Sullivan has showed better application so far this season than last and is being tipped by many to take the title. His first round clash with six-time world champion Steve Davis ticks all the boxes as an absolute classic.

Picture by Monique Limbos

Then there's a ranking event debut for Li Yan.

He impressed in qualifying with four wins and faces 2008 UK champion Shaun Murphy.

Will he freeze or flourish? If he delivers his best, he's capable of an upset.

Elsewhere, Martin Gould makes his television debut as a member of the top 16, while I'll be particularly interested to see Mark Williams having already lost two ranking event finals this season in Australia and Shanghai.

Mark Selby will come into the tournament under pressure as the reigning world number one and as winner of the most recent major ranking event, the Shanghai Masters. That's why his opening round clash with  Ryan Day looks like a right gem.

Ding Junhui has chosen to miss a few of the PTC events leading into the UK Championship. We'll soon see whether any benefits come from that.

Then there's Judd Trump. A real success story of the season and a finalist in the World Championship earlier this year. He's quickly accumulated a legion of fans and will be relied upon to give the tournament its dazzle.

John Higgins returns as the reigning champion. A year ago marked his return to the sport with a dramatic victory in the final against Williams last season.

Picture by Monique Limbos

The Scot trailed 9-6 and looked dead and buried. But a run of four straight frames saw him capture the title and complete a memorable comeback. It will go down as one of the most exciting UK finals of all time.

He will take a lot of the beating again this year still being the hardest player to beat in the game, and a player renowned for delivering on the biggest stages.

But my tip this year for the title is Neil Robertson.

He's now a much better player than when he won the world title in 2010. He has developed the all-round to go with his tremendous potting ability. His form in the PTCs this season have been much improved with two trophies already won.

He's mixing his game up more than ever before and, in my opinion, he has the quality to beat both kinds of players. He can fight it out with Higgins and attack as well as Trump.

Let the battle commence!

Full first round draw:

John Higgins v Rory McLeod
Stephen Maguire v Stephen Hendry
Ronnie O'Sullivan v Steve Davis
Judd Trump v Dominic Dale
Ding Junhui v Mark Davis
Matthew Stevens v Marcus Campbell
Graeme Dott v Matt Selt
Neil Robertson v Tom Ford
Mark Williams v Joe Jogia
Stephen Lee v Ricky Walden
Martin Gould v Peter Lines
Shaun Murphy v Li Yan
Ali Carter v Robert Milkins
Mark Allen v Adrian Gunnell
Stuart Bingham v Marco Fu
Mark Selby v Ryan Day

Paul Colllier's Premier League verdict

Premier League referee Paul Collier has been writing columns all-season long for OnCue.

This time, he looks back on the year's new look Premier League competition and gives his verdict.

 Collier on Ronnie O'Sullivan....

The strange thing about Ronnie in this season's Premier League is that he didn't seem to play very well early on. Saying that, there were 10 players in the competition and only four nights to qualify, but he made it through. I was surprised to see him lose his first match but it was almost as if he won when he needed to.

The way he reads the game has seen him become the master of the shot-clock.

Once he arrived in Potters for the finals weekend, he looked really up for it and played excellently. His record of ten titles is great. I think the difference in preparations for the Premier League to ranking events makes a huge difference to him. He's only a couple hours from home here and can turn up, play and then go home. It's not played over lots of days and it brings out the best in him.

He's been saying he may not play in the Premier League next season and he could be serious. I don't think it will happen but he's in a position where he may have to qualify for the World Championship, so it's right he needs to be ranking snooker top of his priority list.

It would be a shame to lose him though. His domination in the Premier League has been huge. I think he's under-achieved elsewhere in the game but in the Premier League he's shown what a top player he really is.

Collier on the new format...

I liked having ten players in the competition this season but I don't think the format was quite right.

It wasn't much of a league and the Shoot-Out frame didn't work. I don't think it's a great idea to have a match change format halfway through. It confused the spectators and the players, but I can't defend the players.

I think it's their responsibility to brush up on the rules of the game. After all, they've accepted to take part and play for the prize money.

Maybe it would have been better to have split the players into two min-groups of five and have the top two from each qualify for the play-offs. This would have kept the league format alive.

The reduced shot-clock wasn't a problem although I don't think it could go any lower than 20 seconds now.

Collier on the venues...

I can honestly say I loved every venue. They were all so uniquely different but all pulled in a big crowd.

I had my reservations about going to Skegness in summer holiday season but even that was great. The great thing about the Premier League is seeing all the different venues. I'd gladly come back to them all, but I'd welcome anywhere new as well.

I wouldn't like to pick one to drop though. I hope that isn't my job.

Collier on next season...

I've heard the finals may not be in Potters but I'm not sure exactly where they will be. Potters want us to come back but aren't happy with the dates. Unfortunately, they're dictated by Sky.

We could maybe go to Grimsby. I'd be pleased with that but I honestly don't know either way.

I've heard the tournament may go back to six frames. I'm happy either way. All I want is for the crowds to stay high and Sky to give us the same support. That's the key to success.